Brush Length Research Articles

Evolution Kinetics of Stabilizing Pickering Emulsion by Brush-Modified Janus Particles: DPD Simulation and Experimental Insights.

In the present study, we report the evolution of stabilizing Pickering emulsions using brush-modified Janus particles (JPs), utilizing the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulation technique. Our results are subsequently corroborated with experimental findings. Each JP has one-half of the hydrophobic surface, with the other half embedded with hydrophilic polymer brushes grown via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Our generic simulation model analyzes the chemical kinetics of polymer brush growth on one-half of the initiator-embedded microparticle (MP) surface, resulting in the formation of JP. This involves evaluating monomer conversion and reaction rates. Our results exhibit a substantial influence of the number of JPs, grafted brush density, and brush length on oil-in-water emulsion stability. We studied the evolution kinetics and stability of emulsion formation by analyzing the growth of average domain size and corresponding scaling functions up to a late time limit. This study aims to clarify the connection between the size, quantity, and functionality of JPs and the stability of Pickering emulsions.

Lubricant-infused anodic aluminum oxide surface (AAO-LIS) for durable slipperiness under harsh conditions

The wettability of surfaces plays a crucial role in determining their applications, and slippery surfaces have been utilized in various fields. Especially, lubricant-infused surface (LIS) has been undergone extensive research over the past decade. However, LIS tends to lose its infused lubricant and consequently lose its slippery properties when exposed to harsh conditions. Therefore, there is a strong need to enhance the durability of the infused lubricant. Herein, two strategies are adopted to improve the durability of slippery properties against centrifugal forces and high-speed shear flows. One strategy is using re-entrant shaped nanocavities, and the other is grafting PDMS brush onto the surface. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) is employed to fabricate the re-entrant shaped nanocavities, and the durability of the infused lubricant is improved when the cavities have a smaller diameter. Furthermore, the re-entrant shape of nanocavity significantly improves the durability compared to nanocavity with a constant diameter. The grafting of PDMS brush is essential for enhancing the durability, and an increase in the length of the PDMS brush also improves the durability. The fabricated AAO-based LIS (AAO-LIS) maintains the slippery properties for 50 min under a high-speed water flow of 12 m/s. In addition, it maintains its superior slipperiness for more than a few days when exposed to actual seawater. Furthermore, the frictional drag reduction performance of the fabricated AAO-LIS is assessed. The proposed AAO-LIS maintains a certain drag reduction performance durably even after losing its superior slipperiness, demonstrating its strong potential for practical applications across various industrial fields.

PH-Responsive Membranes from Self-Assembly of Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) Brush Silica Nanoparticles.

We have prepared novel pH-responsive nanoporous membranes by the self-assembly of silica nanoparticles carrying poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) brushes with a degree of polymerization (DP) in the 100-450 range. The nanoparticles were prepared by surface-initiated ARGET-ATRP, and the membranes were assembled by pressure-driven deposition onto porous supports. The permeability and pore size of the resulting robust membranes were studied using water and hexane flux and filtration cutoff experiments. The pore size of the PDMAEMA "hairy" silica nanoparticle (HNP) membranes measured by water flux was ca. 22 nm and was mostly independent of the polymer brush length. We attributed this to a combination of the PDMAEMA brushes swelling and their permeability to water. In contrast, the pore size measured by hexane flux strongly depended on the DP. The flux and pore size of these membranes in water strongly depended on the pH. The pore size decreased by a factor of 1.6 when the pH was changed from neutral to acidic. pH-Responsive HNP membranes combine many attractive properties, including control over the filtration cutoff, responsive permeability, and high flux at low pressure. The reversible self-assembly of the PDMAEMA HNP membranes may help not only in their facile preparation but also in material recycling if biofouling occurs. The key features of the PDMAEMA HNP assemblies are attractive in membrane separations, molecular valves, and biosensors, where having precise control over the pore size and pore gating is highly desirable.

Building of soft-hard compound brush in porous PVA/NH2@TAtZnO plural gel and the high-efficiency anti-interference removal on Pb(II)

In order to promote the heavy metal ions removal of porous gel adsorbent and protect the adsorbent from other pollutants in wastewater, the tetrapod ZnO whiskers (tZnO) modified by amino-chain brush was introduced into the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix to prepare the PVA/NH2@TAtZnO composites with brush structure for toxic Pb(II) removal. The adsorption property, adsorption process and adsorption mechanism were studied by adsorption isotherms, adsorption kinetics, adsorption thermodynamics, SEM-EDS analysis and XPS analysis. And the anti-interference ability and anti-interference mechanism were researched by SEM-EDS analysis and XPS analysis. It was found that the PVA/NH2@TAtZnO composites displayed a soft-hard compound pore-brush structure and showed a good selective adsorption on Pb(II). The research of isotherms and kinetics indicated that the adsorption process was fitted well to Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order model, respectively, and the research of thermodynamics revealed the endothermic nature. The adsorption mechanism was inferred as the combination of predominant chemisorption and subsidiary physisorption. Comparing with the neat PVA matrix, the PVA/NH2@TAtZnO composites displayed a good anti-interference property on Pb(II) adsorption and showed an alleviative clogging pore-canal structure in the wastewater with SiO2 NPs or PAC flocculants. The anti-interference intensity ΔQ and anti-interference factor χ were proposed to reflect the anti-interference ability of this adsorbent which was promoted with the increasing amino brush length or density. By the analysis of SEM-EDS and XPS, the anti-interference mechanism was explored as the steric-hinerance effect of tZnO hard brush to suspended SiO2 NPs pollutant and the coordination effect of functional amino soft brush to soluble PAC pollutant. Besides, the prepared PVA/NH2@TAtZnO adsorbent possessed a good reusability under multiple adsorption-desorption processes and also presented a well applicability in real water matrix. The research indicated the huge potential of prepared PVA/NH2@TAtZnO adsorbent in heavy metal ions removal.

Inheritance of ornamental traits in bird cherry families with the cultivar ‘Nezhnost’ in their pedigree

Background. Bird cherry plants are highly ornamental; they are diverse in shape, size and color of leaves and flowers, flowering and fruiting schedules. At present, they are widely used for landscaping parks and public gardens. In Russia there is a need to release new highly ornamental and winter-hardy cultivars using the genetic potential of both known and newly developed genotypes.Materials and methods. In our experiment we used a pink-flowered sample found by R. A. Mastinskaya in the vicinity of Novosibirsk and transferred to Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station of VIR, where it was studied and released as a cultivar named ‘Nezhnost’. One of its seedlings from free pollination became known as No. 11-5-37. Crosses included cvs. ‘Colorata’ (source of the spring red leaf trait), ‘Purpurnaya Svecha’ (summer/autumn red leaf), ‘Pamyati Salamatova’ (number of flowers, and brush length), accessions Nos. 1-1-8 and 11-1-8 from the Central Siberian Botanical Garden’s collection (diameter of flowers and inflorescences), and selected forms “Tereshkovoy 38” and “Tereshkovoy 48/2” planted in Akademgorodok (brush length, number of flowers, and flower diameter).Results. Unlike European genotypes, these cultivars and hybrids are adapted to the conditions of Siberia. Over a long observation period, freezing was not observed on plants even in the most severe winters. Our data indicate a manifold composition of the gene complexes controlling the manifestation of both the pink flower trait and spring red leaves.Conclusion. A possibility of obtaining pink-flowered seedlings in a number of cross combinations and peculiarities of the inheritance of traits in them are shown. Five hybrids were identified for combining valuable traits; they are promising for ornamental and breeding uses. Some of them have already been developed into new ornamental cultivars.

Facile optimization of grafted chain length on antifouling properties based on hyperbranched polyglycerol

Surface-grafted polymer brushes for enhancing biofouling resistance are determined by both the grafting density and chain length of brush on the antifouling membrane surfaces. However, the relations and internal regularities between the arrangement of polymer brush and the permeability and antifouling properties remain unsolved. The accurate effect of chain length is lost on the biofouling resistance behaviors. Herein, antifouling membrane surfaces of hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) brushes are obtained via tuning the chain lengths of HPG brush. The wettability and proteins' static adsorption are dramatically improved with the increase of HPG chain lengths. The parameter of chain volume overlap is preliminarily involved to describe the spatial distribution of HPG brushes. Unexpectedly, we demonstrate that the chain length of HPG is critical and a medium-length HPG brush displays an emerging permeability by a dense enough chain volume overlap (Dv) of the HPG architecture. The biofouling resistance behaviors are optimized using the response surface methodology. As the HPG brush grafting density increased, a higher flux recovery regardless of the chain lengths is observed. Qualitative and quantitative assays of E. coli and S. aureus attachment further reveal the low fouling characteristics of hyperbranched membrane surfaces. A deeper understanding of how the chain length of polymer brushes impacts permeability and the anti-biofouling property provides general guidance on the effectiveness of grafted polymer brushes.

Bottlebrush polymeric catalyst: Boosting activity for CO2/epoxide copolymerization

A dynamic multi-cooperative strategy of constructing bottlebrush catalysts for the ring-opening copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene epoxide was developed. Nine bottlebrush polymeric aluminum porphyrin catalysts (BPAPC) were prepared through regulation of both brush length and bristle length, affording enhanced catalytic performances. Among them, BPAPC 5 with optimized topology exhibited a high activity (turnover frequency = 8,110 h−1) for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene epoxide, while maintaining high polymer selectivity of 99% at 110 °C. Notably, BPAPC 5 even could achieve a high turnover number of 39,000 at a very low catalyst loading ([PO]/[Al] = 50,000), yielding the copolymer with a number-average molecular weight of 271 kg∙mol−1. Moreover, through customizable catalyst design by manipulating steric confinement and ligand chemistry environment, the carbonate unit content of resulting polymers can be adjusted in the range of 35%–75%. Furthermore, the established balloon chain model explained the structure–function relationships of BPAPCs. This study provides a general design guide for cooperative catalytic systems.

Synthesis of PPC-graft-poly(PEOMA) Brush and PPC Gels via Post-polymerization Modification of Hydroxyl-Functionalized Poly(propylene carbonate)

Post-polymerization modification offers a facile and effective tool for adapting polymer properties. However, it has not been applied to poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) as traditional PPC lacks sufficient functional groups along the polymer chain. In the present work, for the first time, hydroxyl-functionalized PPC has been prepared and used to construct PPC-brush and cross-linked polymer gels through post-polymerization modification approach. PPC-brushes in the form of PPC-graft-poly(PEOMA) were obtained with controllable brush length and brush density via “grafting from” a PPC-macroinitiator which was synthesized from esterification reaction of PPC-OH with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide. PPC permanent networks in the form of dioxane gels were prepared by cross-linking PPC-OH with 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI). Rheological measurement of the gels showed that the cross-linking density scales linearly with the hydroxyl group density in PPC-OH. This work not only offers a facile strategy to realize the post-modification of PPC but also spurs the devising of innovative biodegradable materials with tailored molecular architectures.

Analysis and Experiment on the Seed Metering Mechanism of Multi-Grain Cluster Air Suction Type Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Hill Direct Seed Metering Device

This paper aims to solve the problem of high reseeding rates and mis-seeding rates in the rice multi-grain hole direct seeding process. A multi grain cluster air suction type rice hill direct seed metering device was developed, and its seeding mechanism was analyzed. Based on CFD-DEM coupling simulation and bench tests, this study explored and optimized the performance of the seed metering device, and carried out the seeding adaptability test. The simulation results were as follows: when the negative pressure was −5 kPa, the static pressure, dynamic pressure and velocity of the flow field reached the maximum. When the negative pressure was −4 kPa, the qualification index was 89.62%, the reseeding index was 4.36%, and the mis-seeding index was 6.02%. The results of the orthogonal rotation combination test of three factors and five levels showed that when the rotation speed, negative pressure and the length of stirring brush were 20.70 rpm, −4.0 kPa and 10.50 mm respectively, the seed metering performance was the best, the qualification index was 90.85%, the reseeding index was 4.41% and the mis-seeding index was 4.74%. The seed metering device had strong adaptability to the sowing of different rice varieties, and met the agronomic requirements of direct seeding and seeding in rice holes.

Influence of the Amount of Toothpaste on Cleaning Efficacy: An In Vitro Study.

The aim of this in vitro study was to test the influence of the amount of toothpaste on enamel cleaning efficacy. The hydrated silica-based test toothpaste (radioactive dentin abrasion: 60.19 ± 1.35) contained all ingredients of a regular fluoride toothpaste. The cleaning efficacy of four different toothpaste amounts (1.00 g, 0.50 g [both "full length of brush"], 0.25 g ["pea-size"], and 0.125 g ["grain of rice-size"]) diluted in 1.00 mL water were each tested for different brushing times (10, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 300 seconds) using a standardized staining model on human molars with a brushing machine. Photographic documentation and colorimetric measurements were conducted, respectively, initially, after staining and after each brushing step. Colorimetric measurements were used to calculate the stain removal (in %). Results were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance with post hoc Tukey test and Levene's test for analysis of homogeneity of variance. The level of significance α was set at ≤ 0.05. The cleaning efficacy decreased significantly when using smaller toothpaste amounts. Stain removal after 120 seconds brushing time was: 77.4 ± 5.0% (1.00 g toothpaste), 75.7 ± 3.4% (0.50 g toothpaste), 54.1 ± 6.7% (0.25 g toothpaste), and 48.2 ± 7.1% (0.125 g toothpaste), respectively. In this in vitro study the cleaning efficacy of a medium-abrasive, hydrated silica-based toothpaste was analyzed. Note that 1.00 g toothpaste showed for all brushing times a significantly higher cleaning efficacy than 0.25 g toothpaste and 0.125 g toothpaste.

Design and Performance Evaluation of a Cherry Tomato Calyx Remover

A prototype for the remover of cherry tomato calyxes was designed and manufactured. The tap remover was designed and manufactured considering the conveyor transport speed, brush length and clearance, and diameter. These were adjusted in three levels to determine the optimal design factor. Performance tests were conducted using Icon 513, a circular-shaped cherry tomato variety, and Minimaru, a jujube-shaped cherry tomato variety. Conveyor transport speeds were set at 210, 280, and 350 mm/s; brush lengths at 70, 80, and 90 mm; brush clearances at 20, 22, and 24 mm; and brush diameters at 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 mm. The two varieties showed a similar damage rate during calyx removal. However, Minimaru showed a higher calyx removal rate than Icon 513, indicating that it is most suitable for the calyx removal mechanization process.

Redcurrant genetic pool in selection for productivity

We report a study of 23 redcurrant cultivars of different genetic and geographical origin from the All-Russian Horticultural Institute for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery’s genetic repository under the conditions of Moscow Region. The cultivar productivity was evaluated against the most important criteria of brush length, number of flowers and inception under contrasting weather conditions. A high cultivar resistance was registered to winter-born injuries and phytopathogens, including powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca morsuvae (Schw.) Berk. et Curt.), Septoria leaf spot (Septoria ribis Desm.) and anthracnose (Pseudopeziza ribis Kleb.). The established productivity under satisfactory weather conditions in growing season ranges from 1.75 (Kaskad) to 3.5 kg berries per bush (Serpantin, Yarkaya, Zametnaya), in most samples averaging to medium values of 2.7-3.0 kg. The inception rate was highest to exceed 60 % in Niva, Asya, Marmeladnitsa, Rote Spatleze, Serpantin, Yarkaya and Zametnaya. The most large-fruited with a 0.75 g average berry weight were Zadunayskaya and Niva cultivars. Serpantin, Yarkaya and Zametnaya originated by the All-Russian Horticultural Institute for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery are recommended in selection for productivity for total marketing value, A concise cultivar morphobiological profile, origin, ripening period, chemical fruit composition, vigour and growth descriptions are provided.

Adsorption Active Diblock Copolymers as Universal Agents for Unusual Barrier-Free Transitions in Stimuli-Responsive Brushes

We reconsider a recently proposed design for smart responsive brushes, which is based on a conformational transition in very dilutely embedded block copolymers with a surface active block (Qi et al., Macromolecules 53, 5326, 2020). Under certain conditions, the transition acquires an unusual character: it remains very sharp, but the barrier separating the adsorbed and desorbed states disappears completely. We show that these features are very robust with respect to changing almost all system parameters: the lengths of the inert and active blocks of the minority chain, the brush length, its density, and its polydispersity. The only relevant condition is that the inert block of the minority chain is long enough to extend outside the brush density profile. We develop an analytical theory that predicts the relevant characteristics of the transition and verify it with Monte Carlo simulations. We also show that the surprising universality of the transition properties is rooted in an underlying connection to the force-induced desorption transition, which is known to combine the features of the first- and second-order transitions with a pretransition fluctuation growth accompanied by phase coexistence.

Photopolymerization shrinkage-stress reduction in polymer-based dental restoratives by surface modification of fillers

ObjectivesThis research explores the use of polymer brushes for surface treatment of fillers used in polymer-based dental restoratives with focus on shrinkage stress reduction. The influence of interfacial reactive groups on shrinkage stress is explored. MethodsOligomers of varying lengths and with varying number of reactive groups along the length were synthesized by modifying commercial oligomers. Surface of silica fillers (OX50) was treated with methylaminopropyltrimethoxysilane and this was further reacted with the synthesized oligomers to obtain a series of polymer brushes on the surface. Fillers modified with γ-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane were used as a control. Filler surface treatment was confirmed using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Fillers were added at 30 wt % to a resin made of BisGMA/TEGDMA and polymerization kinetics, shrinkage stress, volumetric shrinkage, flexural strength and modulus, viscosity were measured. ResultsComposites with polymer brush functionalized fillers showed up to a 30 % reduction in shrinkage stress as compared to the control, with no reduction in flexural strength and modulus. Shrinkage stress reduced with increasing length of the polymer brush and increased with increase in number of reactive groups along the length of the polymer brush. SignificanceThe interface between inorganic fillers and an organic polymer matrix has been utilized to reduce shrinkage stress in a composite with no compromise in mechanical properties. This study gives insights into the stress development mechanism at the interface.

Computer simulation of zwitterionic polymer brush grafted silica nanoparticles to modify polyvinylidene fluoride membrane

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations was adopted to investigate the modification of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane by adding zwitterionic polymer brush poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate)- tetraethyl orthosilicate (PSBMA-TEOS) grafted silicon nanoparticles (SNPs) to the casting solution. The effects of polymer concentration and grafting architecture (PSBMA length and SNPs grafting ratio) on membrane morphology are discussed. When the polymer concentration reaches 40%, part of the SNPs is embedded in the membrane; the optimal polymer concentration is around 25–30%. In the SNPs system with the grafting ratio of 1, some SNPs are eluted into solution during phase separation. Compared with different grafting architectures, M8-5, M10-5 and M12-5 system (Mx-y, where x represents the length of the zwitterionic polymer brush and y represents the grafting ratio of the silica nanoparticles) exhibited stable membrane morphologies. This work can provide guidance for the design and modification of organic-inorganic composite membrane and help understand the distribution of modified materials on the membrane surface.

Manipulation of Fracture Behavior of Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanocomposites by Interfacial Design of a Metal-Organic-Framework Nanoparticle Toughener.

The interfacial region between nanoparticles and polymer matrix plays a critical role in influencing the mechanical behavior of polymer nanocomposites. In this work, a set of model systems based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix containing poly(alkyl glycidyl ether) brushes grafted on 50 nm metal-organic-framework (MOF) nanoparticles were synthesized and investigated. By systematically increasing the polymer brush length and graft density on the MOF nanoparticles, the fracture behavior of PMMA/MOF nanocomposite changes from forming only a few large crazes to generating massive crazing and to undergoing shear banding, which results in significant improvement in fracture toughness. The implication of the present finding for the interfacial design of the nanoparticles for the development of high-performance, multifunctional polymer nanocomposites is discussed.

Infection resistant polymer brush coating on the surface of biodegradable polyester.

Biomaterials with anti-infective coatings are usually found to suffer from low cyto-compatibility and therefore, development of a stable, effective polymeric anti-bacterial substrate without compromising the biocompatibility is still an unmet challenge. Addressing this, a simple strategy for developing non-leaching antibacterial coating on a biodegradable substrate is reported here. The strategy can be utilized for mitigating serious biomedical implant related complications arising from generation of biocide resistant bacterial strains, losing antibacterial activity over time etc. without significantly compromising the cytocompatibility of the biomaterials. To develop the infection resistant yet cytocompatible biomaterials comprised of tartaric acid based biodegradable aliphatic polyester, we have primarily focussed on attaching anti-infective polymer brushes such as poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), poly (poly (ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (PPEGMA) and poly[(2-methacryloyloxyethyl] trimethyl ammonium chloride) (PMETA) on hydroxyl functionalized polyester substrate via surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SIATRP). The brushes were thoroughly characterized for reaction kinetics, grafting yield, surface density, topography and hydrophilicity. Among the various brushes, cationic polymer brush (PMETA) was found to exhibit highest antibacterial activity, with only ~3% and ~4% adherence of E. coli (Escherichia coli) and S. aureus (Staphylococcus aureus), respectively. In order to show its widespread use and also to vary initiator density, polylactic acid (PLA) was blended with this tartaric acid based aliphatic polyester and a 3D (three-dimensional) scaffold was fabricated by 3D printing using the blend. Finally, PMETA brush was grown onto the scaffold surface for various time periods and the evaluation of antibacterial activity (using gram positive and gram-negative bacteria) and cytocompatibility (using mammalian osteoblast cells) were carried out on the brush modified scaffold. A balance between antibacterial activity and cytocompatibility was found at optimum brush length achieved after 18h of SIATRP suggesting that this composition offers a stable, non-leaching, anti-infective, but cytocompatible coating on biodegradable polymeric implant surface for addressing several biomaterials associated infections.

Effect of brush length of stabilizing grafted matrix on size and catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles

The rationale of this work is to investigate the effect of chain length of stabilizing polymer brushes attached to silica surface on the formation and catalytic activity of metallic palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs). Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) brushes forming a very thin shell were grafted on silica microparticles (PVP@SiO2) via RAFT mediated graft polymerization, thus controlling the molecular weights and structures of PVP grafts. Pd nanoparticles were formed in PVP stabilizing matrix by gamma-induced reduction of polymer-bound Pd(II) ions to yield Pd(0) decorated core-shell particles (PVP-PdNP@SiO2). SEC and TGA results indicated the formation of PVP brushes with different molecular weights on silica substrate. DLS and TEM measurements revealed that particle growth was sterically blocked by the increase in PVP brush length, thereby forming a greater number of small Pd nanoparticles rather than larger ones. PVP-PdNP@SiO2 samples with different PVP chain lengths and Pd sizes were evaluated for their catalytic activity and reusability in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol. Although the nanoparticles formed in the presence of longer grafted chains are smaller, their leakage into the solution has been found to be more effectively prevented by these long grafts. Thus, PVP-PdNP@SiO2 samples with longer PVP grafts showed more stable catalytic activity in repeated reaction cycles. These findings are particularly important for heterogeneous catalysis systems in that they show the effect of the size of surface-bound polymeric stabilizers on metal NP formation and catalytic activity.

Mutations in Myosin 5B in Children With Early-onset Cholestasis.

Mutations in Myosin 5B (MYO5B) are known to be associated with microvillous inclusion disease (MVID) a genetic cause of neonatal intractable diarrhoea. More recently, they have been reported in children with cholestasis but without typical gastrointestinal symptoms of MVID. We describe our series of children with cholestasis and mutations in MYO5B. Clinical, laboratory, and histological data were collected from patients with cholestasis and pathogenic mutations in MYO5B, found by next generation sequencing (NGS) but with minimal gastrointestinal disease. Six patients (3 boys) were identified. Median age at presentation was 19 months (range, 3-92). Presenting features were jaundice, pale stools, pruritus, and failure to thrive. Patients 5 and 6 had intractable diarrhoea until the age of 3 and 7 years, respectively, but currently are on full enteral diet with no intestinal symptoms. Median values for serum total bilirubin were 55 μmol/L (2-500), alanine aminotransferase 73I IU/L (32-114), γ-glutamyltransferase 7 IU/L (7-10), and serum bile acids 134 μmol/L (18-274). Three patients underwent 1 or more types of biliary diversion for symptom control. Median follow-up was 5 years (2-22). At most recent follow-up, they all reported pruritus while on antipruritics. Patient 1 had a liver transplant. We identified 6 patients, with mutations in MYO5B, early-onset cholestasis and pruritus, with variable response to biliary diversion without typical MVID.

New Droplet Removal Polishing Method for Diamond-Like Carbon with Carbon Fiber Brush

In this paper, we propose a new polishing method for diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings using a carbon fiber brush (CFB). Surface finishing is an important process for DLC coating applications. A lapping process is widely used for attaining tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C) coatings, which are a type of DLC coating containing many droplets, to obtain fine flat surfaces. The lapping process removes protuberant parts of droplets rather than the entire droplet. In this paper, we propose a new polish brush material made of carbon fiber, called CFB. Carbon fiber has both mechanical strength due to its hard carbonaceous material and flexibility due to its fiber structure. In polishing tests, CFB removed droplets from ta-C coatings and the removal effect increased with the shortening of the brush length. The surface profiles of the polished surfaces indicated that a shorter brush length yielded deep scratch marks on ta-C surfaces. Consequently, the arithmetic average surface roughness of the polished ta-C surfaces, Sa, had almost the same value as that of a non-polished surface. Here, we show the ability of CFB to remove the droplets without an increase in the surface roughness. The CFB with the longest brush length in the present study (12 mm) showed a ten-point average roughness SZJIS= 75 nm and Sa= 4.7 nm, which were 59% and 22% lower than those of the non-polished surface, respectively. Furthermore, the longest CFB removed the entire droplets whereas a shorter CFB merely removed the protuberant part of the droplets. The result indicates that CFB polishing can remove entire droplets, which result in abrasive wear or deterioration. From other polishing tests, the optimum polishing distance was determined. Shorter polishing distances could not remove droplets sufficiently whereas longer polishing distances caused deep scratches on ta-C surfaces due to the material transferred to the CFB. Accordingly, the polishing distance of 600 m showed the best surface finishing with SZJIN= 25 nm and Ra= 0.43 nm, which were 86% lower than and similar to those of the non-polished ta-C surface, respectively.